U.S. peace activist shot in W. Bank

April 06, 2003|By From Tribune news services.

JERUSALEM — An American peace activist volunteering as a human shield in the West Bank was seriously wounded Saturday when Israeli troops allegedly opened fire on him. Also in the West Bank, soldiers killed a Palestinian gunman who had fired on a Jewish settlement.

The peace activist, Brian Avery, 24, of Albuquerque heard shots fired and came out of his apartment building in Jenin to investigate just as an armored personnel carrier rounded a corner, said Tobias Karlsson, a fellow activist who is from Sweden.

Avery and Karlsson are members of the Palestinian-backed group International Solidarity Movement. Members of the group often insert themselves between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers to try to stop Israeli military operations.

"We had our hands up and we were wearing vests that clearly identified us as international workers when they began firing," Karlsson said. "Brian was shot in the face, and it looks like he was hit by a heavy-caliber bullet because of the extent of the wound."

Avery was taken to a Jenin hospital but was to be transferred to an Israeli hospital. Karlsson said Avery was semiconscious when loaded into an ambulance.

The army said homemade firebombs reportedly were being thrown at troops and they returned fire at gunmen in the area, although officials were unaware that anyone was hit. An officer said Palestinians also were shooting and that it was unclear whose bullet hit Avery.

Karlsson said he, Avery and a Palestinian medical worker not with the group were slowly approached by troops and stood with their hands up for about 10 minutes. There was no communication with the soldiers, who Karlsson says fired unprovoked. Karlsson did not see gunmen in the area and said few Palestinians were on the streets Saturday because of a curfew.

In the Jewish Kiryat Arba settlement outside the West Bank city of Hebron on Saturday, a Palestinian gunman opened fire from a building but caused no casualties, the army said.